Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System (HABSOS)
Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System (HABSOS) [Image courtesy of NOAA Coastal Data Development Center]

Within the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are significant features that have been reported since the first Spanish explorations of the region. NOAA's Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System (HABSOS) states that naturally occurring microscopic algae, called phytoplankton, are common in coastal waters. Phytoplankton are so small that 1000 individuals could fit on the head of a pin. Occasionally, phytoplankton grow explosively creating something called a "bloom." These organisms can be so numerous that they color the water red, hence the term "red tide." Scientists, however, prefer the term "harmful algal bloom," or HAB for short, because blooms can also be other colors, such as brown, or accumulate in numbers that affect shellfish yet do not discolor the water.

Toxins introduced into the ecosystem by a HAB event can seriously affect the health of both people and marine life, as well as disrupt local and regional economies. People can become ill when contaminated shellfish are eaten or when they breathe HAB-laden aerosols near the beach. HAB events can result in the closure of beaches and shellfish beds, massive fish kills, death of marine mammals and seabirds, and alteration of marine habitats. As a consequence, HAB events adversely affect commercial and recreational fishing, tourism, and valued habitats, creating a significant impact on local economies and coastal residents. 

Coastal managers and researchers are challenged to monitor, assess and forecast these events in an effort to work towards minimizing the impacts. The HABSOS website is a regional, web-based data and information dissemination tool. HABSOS provides a secure data entry tool for collection of cell count observations of the algal species Karenia brevis and near real-time and historical data on these Harmful Algal Blooms.

Gulf Water Quality

Beach on Padre Island, Texas [Image courtesy USGS NWRC]
Beach on Padre Island, Texas [Image courtesy USGS NWRC]

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Water Quality Priority Issue Team recognizes the influential role that water has on human health and coastal habitats around the Gulf of Mexico. 

Governors' Action Plan II states that, "To help ensure healthy beaches and safe seafood in our coastal areas, the Alliance has identified four water quality priorities that will guide the partnership's efforts:

  • reducing risk of exposure to disease-causing pathogens,
  • minimizing occurrence and effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs),
  • identifying sources of mercury in Gulf seafood, and
  • improving monitoring of Gulf water resources.

These issues are far-reaching and are best addressed through regional-scale efforts such as the Alliance."

For more information, visit GOMA's Water Quality priority issue page.


Gulf Water Quality Resources

Below are additional resources and information from the NBII Catalog about the water quality of the Gulf of Mexico. To limit the results, enter your state in the search box below.

Gulf Water Quality Resources
Showing 25 of 228 ( Show All )
Collapse“Guardians of the Gulf’ High Definition Documentary
Description: The effects of HAB’s on human health, industry, and the environment are explored in a 60-minute documentary provided by the Essential Image Source Foundation (EISF). Theories on causes and solutions to red tides are also presented.
Resource Type: Issue Overviews
Resource Format: URL
Publisher: Essential Image Source Foundation
ExpandA Focus on Wetland Ecology for Elementary Grade Science
ExpandAbout Marine Habitats: Coral Reefs, Seagrass Beds, and Mangroves
ExpandAlabama Department of Environmental Management
ExpandAlabama Mollusks Bibliography
ExpandAlabama Program Information - Alabama NRCS
ExpandAlabama Rivers Alliance
ExpandALEARN: Alabama Education in Aquatic Sciences, Aquaculture, Recreational Fisheries and Natural Resource Conservation
ExpandAlgae Which Do Not Cause Illness in Humans - But Are Harmful to Fish
ExpandAppalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative (PDF, 2 pp., 266 KB)
ExpandAquatic Toxins
ExpandAquatic Toxins Education and Outreach
ExpandAquatic Toxins Program
ExpandAssessment of Water Quality, Benthic Invertebrates, and Periphyton in the Threemile Creek Basin, Mobile, Alabama, 1999-2003
ExpandBeach Debris Interactive Game
ExpandBetter Bay Living Laboratory: The Demonstration Marsh
ExpandBetter Bay Living Laboratory: The Demonstration Marsh Fact Sheets
ExpandBibliography of the Rio Grande River Basin
ExpandBig Black River Basin
ExpandBiological Data at NODC
ExpandBlue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) Health Concerns
ExpandBlue-Green Algae in Florida Waters (PDF, 2 pp., 974 KB)
ExpandBridge Lesson Plan
ExpandBriefing Paper on Houston Area Bayous I: Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay
ExpandBriefing Paper on Houston Area Bayous II: Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay plus Addicks and Barker Reservoirs; Buffalo, Greens and White Oak Bayous
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